Posted by Nolan Dalla on Apr 8, 2014 in Blog, Music and Concert Reviews, Video 1 |
Last night, Italian blues singer Zucchero played his first Las Vegas gig in 15 years. He performed at the House of Blues, an intimate concert venue inside Mandalay Bay.
To say this was one of the musical highlights of the year (for me) would be a monumental understatement. I own just about everything put out commercially by Zucchero since his career began in the mid-1980s, including his latest album release titled Bassa, which includes live sessions performed last year in Cuba with some of the best (and least-known) musicians in the world.
Zucchero, which means “sugar” in Italian (real name: Adelmo Fornaciari), brings it and then gives it. He loves what he does, which is obvious from his two-hour sets and plenty of unexpected and unrehearsed impromptu show-stopping moments. There’s no lip-syncing in this show. It’s entirely authentic from start to finish. He’s not the best singer, or guitar player, or pianist, of course. But combine his passion with the gift of melody and he’s the real deal. At last night’s House of Blues show, he essentially performed every song we wanted to hear, then stayed for three encores.
Virtually unknown inside the United States, Zucchero is enormously popular in Europe, especially his native Italy and throughout Eastern Europe. He’s performed duets with everyone from Luciano Pavarotti to John Lee Hooker.
VISIT ZUCCHERO’S OFFICIAL WEBSITE
Here’s a sample of the JLH collaboration:
Several years ago, Zucchero did another collaboration which can be seen here. Pretty impressive company, indeed:
One more, Zucchero with the great Miles Davis:
Here’s a short review of Zucchero’s performance at House of Blues.
Unlike many of his previous grand spectacles with full orchestras and a symphony of sound, this was a much smaller, more compact version of the normal grandiosity which accompanies his shows. In fact, Zucchero’s current American tour consists of just him and his four-person band traveling by RV.
This thrifty decision has nothing to do with money. Zucchero has sold 50 million records worldwide and owns a highly-profitable wine vineyard in Tuscany. He’s married and has three children. He’s not touring America by bus because he’s broke, nor does he need the money. He’s doing it for the love of his music.
Zucchero’s musical influences — largely blues and gospel sounds of the American South — comes across in the unique instrumentation used in his shows (at least the one I saw). Ever heard a “banjo bass” before? I hadn’t. There are flutes, trumpets, and a grab bag of different string instruments that produce unusual sounds and pitches which enhance the classic hits his fans have known by heart for years.
It would be difficult if not impossible to upstage Zucchero’s boundless energy or natural charm onstage. But if there’s such rival, it comes from a remarkable woman who backs the maestro on guitar and vocals. Imagine the voice of Patti LaBelle and the guitar prowess of Buddy Guy, and that’s Zucchero’s sidekick (I didn’t get her name, unfortunately). She’s amazing!
Zucchero doesn’t speak much English. In fact, he converses with his audience in Italian between songs but keeps the narrative to a minimum. That many people reading this likely don’t understand Italian or know his music doesn’t matter. At one point during the show, Zucchero told the story about when he was a boy and how he learned to play the guitar and sing along to mostly English-language pop-records, which led to an appreciation for the classic blues masters. He confessed that he doesn’t know what the song means or says sometimes, but interprets it in his own way. “That’s the magic of music,” he says. “It makes me happy. I hope my music can make other people happy, too.”
Zucchero said there’s a message in his story for Americans. He says we should listen more to the rest of the world’s music. It doesn’t matter what language it comes in. Music is music and beautiful music is beautiful in any language. After all, “most opera is in Italian,” Zucchero joked.
At House of Blues, most of his audience was Italian, who made the show into a give and take. It was nice to see so much interaction between a stage performer (especially someone of Zucchero’s stature) and an audience, giving the evening an intimate nightclub feel. Our seats were no more than perhaps 30 feet away. We could see the sweat pouring off his face as a drenched performer gave his audience the show they wanted to see.
You’d think this would be the recipe for a marvelous concert, and it was, except for the two women who sat next to me and then babbled through the entire performance. As I said, the downside to attending live concerts nowadays is that they attract all kinds of people. Including some with no manners nor any sense of musical appreciation.
Try and check out Zucchero if you can. His 2014 American Tour continues with dates in Dallas, Austin, Houston, New York, Chicago, and elsewhere (about 15 more cities). Click his website for tickets and show information.
TAG: Zucchero American tour
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Posted by Nolan Dalla on Apr 7, 2014 in Blog, Las Vegas, Rants and Raves, Restaurant Reviews, Talking Points, Video 1 |
Every year the readers of the city’s biggest newspaper send in their picks for their favorite this and that, which are tallied up and later released as the winners of the “Best of Las Vegas” awards. Here’s my reaction to several categories.
Note: Lots of profanity in the video.
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Posted by Nolan Dalla on Apr 5, 2014 in Blog, Las Vegas, Politics |
Las Vegas is growing again.
According to reports, the city and surrounding area added 100,000 new residents within just the past year. This news is both good and bad.
It’s good because local property values, which took the biggest hit in the nation right after the 2008 economic crisis, are inching closer back to the break-even point for many homeowners, who relocated here and then found themselves on the wrong end of upside-down mortgages. It’s also a symbol of economic vibrancy, sure to entice businesses currently based elsewhere to move to Las Vegas, which has a plentiful supply of affordable labor.
It’s bad too. Las Vegas doesn’t really need any more residents. Its limited resources — mostly a diminishing water supply — are already stretched perilously thin. Lake Mead is at its lowest level ever and the problem is getting worse. Air quality continues to deteriorate. And local traffic is a mess. Las Vegas doesn’t need any more cars on the streets or people struggling to make ends meet. It’s already got plenty of that.
Here are ten things Las Vegas should do which will improve the quality of life for most residents and make the city a far more attractive place to visit:
1. Stop releasing federal land for new development — Las Vegas has plenty of lands available for commercial and residential development. Yet, under intense pressure from developers (most of them based out-of-state), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) continues to release federal land in the surrounding areas to speculators and developers. Unfortunately, much of the latest developments pose a serious threat to the picturesque Red Rock Canyon area located on the city’s far west side. A ten-year “land freeze” would force developers to invest more heavily in urban areas (inner city) which desperately need more jobs and opportunities.
2. Expand and improve the Las Vegas monorail — Whoever signed off on or had anything to do with the planning of the current monorail system should be banished from the city. It’s a disgrace — one of the most abominable mass transit projects ever built. First, it’s ridiculously expensive to ride ($5 for a one-way ticket, and $14 for a 24-hour pass). Contrast passenger fare costs with other major U.S. cities which are usually no more than a few dollars. Worse, the route deviates off the Strip and isn’t convenient for most visitors. But the biggest crime is the monorail not extending all the way to and from McCarran International Airport and Downtown. The solution is to extend ridership to the airport, and then downtown. Moreover, lower fares would probably create more net revenue since more riders would take the monorail rather than taxis. As it stands now, the Las Vegas monorail is a white elephant and a symbol of poor planning and gross mismanagement. Let’s start over again and do it right this time.
3. Ban all commercial vehicles from the Las Vegas Strip — Have you seen these giant trucks which are nothing more than huge billboards trolling up and down the Las Vegas Strip 24-hours a day? They’re about as useful as bad cholesterol. Billboard truck drivers are instructed to drive slowly back and forth, more so at the busiest times, adding to what’s already a severe traffic problem, noxious air pollution, and other problems caused by needless congestion. Not only should these worthless vehicles be banned from the city, but all commercial traffic should also be diverted to alternative routes located on both sides of the main thoroughfare — namely Koval/Paradise to the east and Frank Sinatra/Industrial to the west. It’s not 1975 anymore. The city has grown beyond the capacity to accommodate all the traffic that’s here. So, let’s start establishing some priorities. City planners must begin imposing restrictions on which vehicles should be permitted on the city’s busiest boulevard. Ban all trucks and billboard pests.
4. Build a new sports stadium north of downtown — Sports stadiums are controversial. They’re not always an ideal allocation of public finances. However, sports arenas and outdoor stadiums have most certainly spawned economic development and are (in many cities) a net gain for the local economy. Las Vegas is the largest city in the nation (by far) without a modern outdoor sports arena. By this, I mean a stadium that could accommodate sports such as football, baseball, and soccer as well as outdoor concerts. UNLV desperately needs a new stadium. The city must construct a venue if it’s to lure an existing spots franchise. Finally, the only outdoor arena capable of holding large crowds is the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, an eyesore in an industrial area on the outer fringes of the city, hardly an appealing venue. The ideal location for new a multi-purpose sports arena would be in the area to the north of downtown, where the minor league baseball stadium Cashman Field already exists. Most of that is already city-owned land and would be relatively cheap and easy to build upon. The renovation of downtown that’s currently underway (led by Zappo’s) would also give a new stadium an instant urban feel, where locals and visitors could walk from residential and commercial areas to events. UNLV home football games would become the hottest ticket in town. This would be even more so for a major league baseball franchise (and several clubs are losing money and could probably be enticed to relocate).
5. Build and modernize federal highways connecting Las Vegas with both Los Angeles and Phoenix — This is largely a federal matter since interstates are built and maintained by the Department of Transportation. Nevertheless, the current state of highways between Las Vegas and its closest big city neighbors is a disgrace. No other cities anywhere in the nation with 2-million or more residents offer as poor roads as now exist between Las Vegas-Los Angeles and Las Vegas-Phoenix. In fact, there is no direct route to and from Phoenix. Travel anywhere else in the country and you’ll see modern roads between major cities with multiple lanes. Yet, the highways connecting Las Vegas to its neighbors are pretty much the exact same highways that existed 40 years ago. Nice job, Sen. Harry Reid. Thanks for nothing.
6. Create enterprise zones in economically-depressed areas — North Las Vegas is on the verge of collapse. Other areas of the Las Vegas Valley are similarly depressed. One viable economic strategy which has proven to be successful in many large American cities is the implementation of what’s called “Urban Enterprise Zones,” initially championed by the late Congressman Jack Kemp during the 1980s. Enterprise zones provide tax incentives for developers to invest in blighted areas. They may reconstitute city land for shared revenue projects with private industry. Most of these areas are ignored and forgotten. However, if a moratorium on new land development was imposed, investors and developers would be forced to move into urban areas, which desperately need a boost. It’s important to note a lot of these projects complement one another.
7. Prohibit panhandling at intersections — Begging at intersections has become a regional epidemic. One can’t drive anywhere now without seeing a “homeless person” with a sign begging for money. While many of these unfortunate people are victims of the hoax of unrestricted free-market capitalism, quite a few made very bad decisions in life (drug abuse, alcoholism) and are now paying the consequences. Homelessness in Las Vegas will certainly continue and we need to start a debate as to what we should do about it. So, let’s quit ignoring the problem. This won’t be solved with open begging at intersections. Vagrancy is bad for communities and is hardly the springboard needed by the poor to move into jobs or establish self-reliance. What may be needed is a state income tax (or city tax perhaps) in order to institute a safety net for these desperate people. In the meantime, we need to clear the streets of people who endanger themselves and others by standing in traffic and are a blight on the community. Yes, I know — I’m starting to sound like former Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
8. Build more street tunnels under the Las Vegas Strip — The Desert Inn’s east-west underpass has arguably been the wisest initiative of urban-planning in many years. Yet, despite its unquestionable success — which alleviates thousands of cars from being forced to cross Las Vegas Blvd. and tie up surrounding intersections — we’ve built no other tunnels since then, and that was 20 years ago! Why not? Nothing is even planned in the future, which means we’re likely to have the same transportation grid in a decade that we have now — only with lots more cars and people. That’s highly irresponsible. Las Vegas has proven to be an abomination of urban planning (there’s been little or no government leadership on this, until the last decade or so). There’s absolutely no excuse for this. After all, the land here is mostly flat and unrestricted. There are no natural barriers, bays, or rivers, which normally impede local transportation systems. For Las Vegas to continue having such a poor transportation infrastructure given virtually no logistical challenges is mind-boggling.
9. Add a medical school at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas — What I’m about to write is both staggering and shameful. The entire state of Nevada has precisely one medical school. That’s right — just one. The fastest-growing sector of the national economy is severely stifled within our community, largely because of the medical establishment’s (American Medical Association) reprehensible stranglehold on the process of new prospects entering the medical field. In essence, many medical professionals don’t want any competition. They want fewer licensed professionals so they can maintain a monopoly over our health. So, because we have so few medical schools pumping out new doctors, waiting times increase in offices and doctors spend less time with patients. This is a travesty! Solution: MORE DOCTORS, MORE NURSES, MORE MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS. Yet under the current system, prospective doctors have only one option in this entire state to get an education and obtain training, which is at the University of Nevada (Reno), located some 400 miles away. How can a population center with two-million residents not have a medical school? UPDATE: It worked! READ HERE
10. Your turn — ??? What do you think? What did I miss?
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Posted by Nolan Dalla on Apr 4, 2014 in Blog, Movie Reviews, Personal |
With the passing two years ago of godless barracuda Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins more than anyone has inherited the weighty throne as the world’s foremost atheist.
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Posted by Nolan Dalla on Apr 3, 2014 in Blog, Personal, Politics |
Istanbul, Turkey in 1996
Between 1993 and 1999, most of my workdays were spent inside the Turkish Embassy, in Washington, D.C.
Typical duties consisted of writing and editing official correspondence. To this day, most foreign missions along Embassy Row hire at least one native-English speaker. This is because the language used in diplomatic communications must be positively precise. The wrong word in the wrong place at the wrong time can be misunderstood, triggering unintended consequences.
I was also fortunate enough to be assigned to the public information office during that time. This put me into direct contact with many Americans who needed assistance with something or someone in the Republic of Turkey. You can’t even imagine some of the inquiries we received.
Reminiscing now, I look back fondly on those six years. What a wonderful experience that was. The Turkish diplomatic corps and embassy staff were always kind to me. Not only were they thoroughly professional at all times, they were also lots of fun to be around. I shall always have a soft spot in my heart for the Turks.
Inshallah.
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Of the numerous official requests received by the Turkish Embassy, one subject in particular always stood apart from the rest, because it was so unusual and so interesting.
People have been in search of the so-called remnants of “Noah’s Ark” for centuries. Those with the greatest interest include members of the clergy, academics (often with religious colleges and universities), and the media. However, only within the past 60 years or so have conditions within Turkey stabilized to the point where researchers have been granted government permission to visit and explore some of the most remote areas within the northeastern part of the country. That region in far Eastern Anatolia also happens to be highly sensitive to the military, since it’s close to the borders of two nations that have been at odds with Turkey for a long time — Armenia and Iran. Making matters worse, Turkey has been fighting a brutal separatist movement for decades that’s within close proximity, called the Kurdistan Workers Party (or PKK). Oh, it’s also about as far from the conveniences of modern civilization as you can get.
It’s easy to understand why Noah’s Ark remains such a fascinating subject for so many, for so long. For those who are religious, locating the remains of a large wooden ship in the hills somewhere, far away from the sea, would surely seem to be confirmation that the story we know is indeed true. Perhaps even validation for faith. Academics, mostly from religiously-affiliated institutions, are also hopeful the ark might be located, which (they believe) would answer questions that have mystified humankind for centuries. And, the media always seem willing to cover the true believers in search of Noah’s Ark for no other reason than it often makes for a great story. Besides, who wouldn’t want to be there with video at the instant of discovery?
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The real reason why the Turkish Government allows so few search parties into the region that would be of no interest whatsoever to most people otherwise is that this is the site of Mount Ararat. Repeated denials have little to do with either national security or government paranoia. Note: This is probably a bad time to state this claim given the recent developments within Turkey, which now effectively try to censor mass media. I can only speak for what things were like during the 1990s.
Fact is, Mount Ararat is dangerous. It actually consists of two large mountains — the smaller peak at 12,000 feet and the larger peak at 18,000 feet. These mountains are beyond just inhabitable. They’re covered in deep snow year-round. Most of the areas suspected to be the final resting place of Noah’s Ark are positioned along rocky cliffs, which would be accessible to only the world’s best mountain climbers. Unfortunately, most academics don’t have much high-altitude mountaineering experience. Therein lies much of the problem.
As for Turkey’s position, the last thing the government wants to be held responsible for lots of inexperienced people climbing a dangerous mountain who don’t know what they’re doing. This isn’t a typical hike with a backpack. In many ways, Ararat is every bit as challenging as what might be encountered in the Himilayas. So next time you see a film documentary criticizing the official policy of the Turkish Government, realize it’s for most of these peoples’ own good.
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My estimate is we received about one request per month for permission to travel and climb Mount Ararat. This was the number that came in just from the United States. I presume Turkish Embassies located in other countries too received multiple requests, pushing the final tally to a few hundred people each year who were completely serious about risking their lives to hunt for what might very well be a hoax.
One academic in particular stood out from the rest. I won’t use his real name for a number of reasons, but mostly because he didn’t grant me permission to write about our conversations (I haven’t spoken to him in over 12 years). This man published some of his discoveries (based mostly on theories) and was one of the most well-known authorities on the subject. He spent most of his adult life studying (and trying to find) Noah’s Ark. For no other reason than that, I always thought the man deserved respect, even though I didn’t agree with any of the mythology surrounding the story. Moreover, my job wasn’t to argue with or judge him. It was to help him if I could.
The man, a university professor, was absolutely convinced Noah’s Ark came to rest — not on Mount Ararat as so many believed — but rather on Mount Judi. This was hardly news to anyone of the Islamic faith. In fact, the Koran testifies Mount Judi is the actual resting place of the treasured remains.
The trouble with this alternative theory was, Mount Judi is located about 200 miles south of Mount Ararat. The direction here is important. That positions the alleged location much further away from any large body of water. It does seem geologically possible that following the great flood, water could have run off into what’s now known as the Black Sea, which lies to the north of Mount Ararat. But anyone with a basic grasp of geography would have a difficult time explaining where all the water went if a great flood carried a giant ark made of wood to Mount Judi since everything around that area remains a desert.
The bottom line is — most Christians believe Noah’s Ark is to be found somewhere on Mount Ararat. Although the incredible tale is far less purposeful in the Koran, Islam is convinced the ark is on Mount Judi.
As for me, I’m convinced it’s all in the imagination.
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Admittedly, I’m thoroughly unqualified to write about this subject.
First, I don’t believe the popular story as it’s been told. Second, I have no academic training, nor any subject knowledge that gives me any special insights, other than decade-old access to some key people who were experts in this field and some direct familiarity with how they were able to maneuver through the government bureaucracy. Finally, I’ve never been to either of the places alleged to be the locations of Noah’s Ark — Mount Ararat or Mount Judi. I’ve only traveled so far as Central Turkey, which is several hundred miles away.
That said, the explanations for Noah’s Ark and The Great Flood seem amazing simple, and logical. And, there’s even some scientific basis as to what really happened which now explains why so many people centuries later remain convinced that an old man with a white beard bearded a bunch of animals onto a wooden ship and survived a catastrophic flood that lasted 40 days and 40 nights.
More to come…
READ MORE: My views on the “Armenian Genocide”
The view from the top of Mount Ararat, in the far-eastern Anatolian region of Turkey.
Posted by Nolan Dalla on Apr 2, 2014 in Blog, Movie Reviews |
“Tim’s Vermeer” comes as a new documentary by the magical duo known as Penn and Teller.
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Posted by Nolan Dalla on Mar 31, 2014 in Blog, Politics, Talking Points, Video 1 |
Today, I’m trying out a new idea. I’d really like your feedback.
Several people suggested that I try creating a video edition of my daily rants and writings. In other words, instead of writing an essay, instead, just step in front of a camera and start talking.
Well, I decided to give this a try.
No script. No plan. No agenda. Just talk.
What follows is an unrehearsed and unedited clip that runs a ridiculously long 32 minutes. I decided to call it “Talking Points.”
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Posted by Nolan Dalla on Mar 30, 2014 in Blog, Personal, Restaurant Reviews, World Series of Poker |
You’re all a bunch of bastards.
That’s what you are.
Clueless ignorant bastards!
You obviously don’t have a clue what kind of fish to order at a restaurant. And because of your blatant ignorance, I am the one who has to suffer from your lack of knowledge about seafood.
On Saturday night, we dined out at Buzio’s. That’s the seafood restaurant at the Rio in Las Vegas. Buzio’s is consistently both good and affordable. I’ve dined at Buzio’s perhaps 200 times within the past ten years. Yes, that’s — two-hundred.
The primary reason why I eat at Buzio’s so much is — it’s the closest good restaurant to where the World Series of Poker takes place. It’s within walking distance of the tournament area. So, when I’m working on the property for nearly 50 days each summer, many of those dinner breaks are spent at Buzio’s, often with close friends and people I haven’t seen in a long while. Moreover, the dinner break is the highlight of my day.
A few nights ago, I returned to Buzio’s for the first time since July. It was nice to see the old staff again. But I was disappointed to see the menu made some changes. Several entrees have been removed, while others have been added.
No big deal, I thought. As long as they don’t screw with my favorite entree, damn the rest of the world.
Well, I was in for a shock. First, there was anger. Then, tears. I was stunned to discover that Buzio’s has REMOVED rainbow trouts from the menu!
Can you fucking believe that?
RAINBOW TROUTS! POOF! GONE!
Wat’s up with that? What am I supposed to order instead? Catfish? The horror!
Hey, listen up people. I don’t eat bottom-feeders. I don’t pay $25 for something an unemployed truck driver can catch off a highway bridge in Mississippi. And I’m sure as shit not going to order the lobster on my own dime, which costs $70 a whack. Once, I scarfed down two full lobsters, but that was because it was someone else’s turn to pick up the check.
This devastating development was about as demoralizing as any news I’ve heard all year. Accordingly, I had to express my opinion to everyone around me, including the other customers who caught wind of my rant. I told our waiter “Darcy” (like the guy in the “Gone With the Wind” movie) that I was furious they would remove one of the best fish items in the city from the menu. And you want to know what he told me? Do you really want to know what Darcy said? Let me tell you what Darcy said.
Listen to me. I’m talking here.
Darcy said they took the rainbow trouts off the menu because “IT WASN’T SELLING.”
ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME!
Darcy said that.
It was the best thing on the menu! By far! And now it’s gone? Vanished? What in the hell do people order — hamburgers? Good grief, people — wake the fuck up!
I’m about to do some serious ass-kicking. If you pay attention here, you might learn something. It might improve your health. It might even save your life.
When someone orders FISH, that often means they’re trying to eat healthily. They want to eat right. Good for them. Sure, I’d love to order gobs of deadly calories and make a pig of myself like most of the rest of you do. But I have manners and class. I’d also like to survive past the age of 60 without having to use a walker.
There are some serious health risks with fishes in most restaurants. Some of the fishes have mercury and other dangerous toxins. It’s not the fishes’ fault. They swim in contaminated waters. So, you might as be eating the poisoned produce right out of Cleveland Bay. Yes, it’s that bad.
Then, there are the bottom feeders — like catfish. Let me tell you something. If you ever order catfish in a seafood restaurant (and you’re sitting at my table), don’t ever count on receiving a dinner invitation from me ever again. Okay? You’re embarrassing me.
Oh, and of course, the catfish is still on the menu at Buzio’s. Fucking catfish! A bottom feeder that basically survives on sludge. It’s a pigeon of the sea.
Contrast this with my rainbow trouts, which swim in cold, clean, clear, crystal blue waters. Healthy eating. Good for you. My fish is fucking fresh. I’ll bet yours is frozen. And filled with mercury.
Oh, and one more thing: DON’T TELL ME TO ORDER TILAPIA (however you spell it), BECAUSE TILAPIA IS A FUCKING JOKE! It’s like the snails of the fishes. You know how many tilapia have to die to make one decent bite — at least two. Besides, Talapia has no taste. I CAN’T STAND TILAPIA!
‘Same with Orange Roughy. Honestly, when’s the last time you heard someone joyously screams out, “that’s the best orange roughy I’ve ever had?” Orange roughy is bullshit.
If forced to compromise, I might be able to choke down salmon occasionally (not farm-raised). Halibut is good too, but it’s always pricey. So, I usually order that when we’re dividing the check equally and the cost of my dinner won’t matter. Swordfish is good too, but I have trouble believing they catch that in the wild. I don’t like eating things that were raised inside a tank.
You disappoint me. I expected more of you. So much more. I thought you people who came to the Rio and could afford to eat at Buzio’s were like me — sophisticated, knowledgeable, and (impossibly demanding).
But no. You’re the same goddamned jokers who think Olive Garden is a good restaurant. Yes, you.
You’re the ones who order hamburgers and catfish, which outsells the good stuff like rainbow trout, which now forces people like me to struggle and hunt and peck to find something decent on the menu.
Well, I’m not going to take it! I’m calling your asses out and taking names.
So let’s get back to what happened on Saturday night. Darcy the waiter sympathized with me. He gets it. He knows what’s right. He wants to please loyal customers. So, he went off and got Diane. She’s the manager at Buzio’s.
Diane really cares. I like Diane. Diane came by our table inquiring about how things were going. Well, this was my big chance. I had to give Diane a real piece of my mind. She was very appreciative to hear my opinions. In fact, after complaining for nearly ten minutes she finally said in frustration, “I really hate to go, but I’ve got to seat some more people and the line is getting really long.”
As I said, I know Diane wanted to hear more about what I thought of the new menu.
Incredibly, Diane later came back to our table. She informed me that she’ll try and bring back the rainbow trouts this summer, as a “special trial.” They are going to hold me my own private stock of rainbow trouts. But she will also keep some rainbow trouts to serve to the common people, too. Diane obviously doesn’t want to have to deal with me, so she’s flying in fresh rainbow trouts for me during the WSOP.
Well, in that case, I am going to make some demands of those of you who come to Las Vegas every summer. You know the things that set me off. So, you better start pleasing me and ordering the rainbow trouts. Quit with the catfish and tilapia. Start ordering the rainbow trouts. That way, if there’s more demand for it, they will put it back on the menu.
Only, don’t mess with my own private stock. That’s only for me.
READ: My campaign was too successful — now they are out of trout
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Posted by Nolan Dalla on Mar 29, 2014 in Blog, Book Reviews |
This month’s issue of The Atlantic magazine includes a poll of several well-known personalities — including writers, scientists, business leaders, politicians, movie stars, and people from other fields. Each was asked a simple question.
Of the countless number of fictional characters created throughout history, who was the greatest?
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Posted by Nolan Dalla on Mar 28, 2014 in Blog, Movie Reviews |
“The Grand Budapest Hotel” is unlike any film you will see (or not see) this year.
Imagine plunging Charlie Chaplin, Quentin Tarantino, and the Coen Brothers into a giant blender and then pressing “puree” for the full 101 minutes. That’s the succulent mix of zesty influences readily abundant in the latest film both written and directed by Wes Anderson, starring one of the best ensemble casts assembled for any film made in recent memory.
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